Facebook testing sound alert system for when someone writes on your timeline

IF you think you already spend too much time checking your Facebook notifications, wait until it starts beeping at you.

The social network is trialling a new sound alert system that makes a "ding dong'' noise every time someone writes on your timeline, sends you a message or invites you to an event.

The unpublicised experiment was uncovered this week by a reporter for technology blog Venturebeat, whose Facebook profile was one of the few involved in the trial.

Facebook today confirmed to News Ltd that only a small number of profiles had been enabled with the new sound alerts, which can be controlled through account settings, however the idea is already being slammed online by annoyed users.

"Seriously, the Facebook inbox alert sound should go,'' tweeted @evanspughe, while on tech website Mashable one user commented "Let's take an already annoying product, Facebook, and make it more annoying with noises. Way to go there, Zuck.''